


Megamind: The True Story

by MagicaCat



Category: Megamind (2010)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-27
Updated: 2019-08-25
Packaged: 2020-07-23 08:35:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,881
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20005396
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MagicaCat/pseuds/MagicaCat
Summary: How did the world's most brilliant Supervillain become the world's greatest hero?Well it wasn't because of some tacked-on "romance".Here's the true story.





	1. One

“…question for Megamind. Are you happy now?”

Megamind pushed his chair back and sighed before switching the television off. Happy? No. No he wasn’t happy and nobody seemed to be able to see that.  
He allowed himself a small smile that looked more like a grimace - but there was nobody around to see it anyway. Minion had powered down for the night, leaving him to his own thoughts, thoughts he’d tried to drown out by watching the TV, only to find nothing but news reports on how he was going to turn Metrocity’s citizens into a slave army.  
He snorted in disdain even as he stared blankly out of the window. Slave army indeed. The usual fabrication by the media - just what use would that be when there was nobody to fight anyway? The drones were just panicking and wringing their hands about Metro Man’s death, nobody was standing up against him despite his best efforts to incite a rebellion and frankly, he was bored.  
He focused on the image in front of him, his brows drawing down over his emerald eyes. He really should have chosen a better base after his takeover - the massive statue of Metro Man, visible from every window on this side of the town hall, was just annoying him.  
He stared at it for a long moment, then suddenly spun and grabbed his cloak, throwing it on over the tank and jeans he was wearing before absently buckling his Dehydration gun and holster around his waist.

That statue had to go. And if he was lucky, maybe causing it to explode into smithereens would be just the thing to make someone - anyone - stand up to him.

***

Megamind screeched to a halt, barely even noticing the way the big car fishtailed with the abrupt braking and bringing it back under control without a second thought.  
Driving along the deserted high street, the invisibility device working like a charm as always, his attention had been caught by movement in the alley beside one of the previously upmarket stores he and Minion had pillaged and graffitied a week ago.  
He squinted into the darkness, hardly believing his eyes. But no, there it was again - someone was actually trying to break in!

To _his_ store!

The audacity! Couldn’t they see his name in four-foot tall, bright blue letters?!  
Ignoring the fact that every other shopfront had the same letters emblazoned across it, Megamind climbed out of the car, drew his Dehydration gun, and stalked toward the dark alley, a snarl twisting his lips. A small swarm of Brain Bots followed, “bowg”-ing amongst themselves and flitting around his head like guardians.  
A couple of hooded figures were attempting, rather clumsily, to gain access to the store through what looked like a bathroom window. Megamind got close without them hearing over the frantic whisperings amongst themselves, leaned forward, and very pointedly cleared his throat.  
The effect of this tiny act was immediate and gratifying and he smirked down at one of them, now lying prone among black garbage bags with a terrified expression, before turning to the other who appeared to be trying to push through the brick wall using only their back. The brain bots swarmed around them both, and Megamind bit back a grin as both figures flinched away from them.  
“And just what” he asked, his voice low and amused, “do you think you’re doing?”  
“M-Megamind-”  
“We were just-”  
“Trying to break in? And for what purpose?” His long fingers stroked the glass barrel of the dehydration gun, and his smirk grew as two sets of wide eyes focused on it.  
“It- it’s an initiation!” the one at the wall blurted and Megamind turned, raising an eyebrow.  
“Initiation? To what?”  
The figure among the bags slowly got to its feet and pulled the hood shadowing its face away. Megamind tried not to look surprised at how young they were, though he automatically pointed the gun at the ground.  
“To- to a gang” they said in a small voice. “See- without Metro Man- we can’t stay safe alone and- and we don’t want to be a slave army, and-”  
“I have no intention of making you into slaves” said Megamind, waving a dismissive hand. He noted the looks they exchanged and frowned. “But it’s not just that, is it?”  
“No.” The other spoke up. “It’s- we don’t feel safe. There’s so much crime going on-”  
Megamind's frown deepened. He’d been keeping an eye on the news channels for the last few weeks and now he was beginning to remember the reports he’d only half paid attention to. Something about a crimewave, an undercurrent of tension and worse among the citizens that the local police appeared to be struggling with.  
“-and see, if we get in and take photos of ourselves inside, we’re part of the gang and we get the protection of it-”  
Megamind blinked at the kid still babbling and flicked his fingers at them. They shut up with a choked sound, eyes widening again.  
“If I catch you trying to break into an abandoned store again, I’ll cart you downtown myself. It’s dangerous. Scram.”  
Both of them sagged in relief and took off down the alley at a light jog. Megamind whistled to the brain bots and made his way back to the car, thoughts racing.  
A crimewave. In _his_ city.

Not if he had anything to say about it.

***

His plans to reduce the statue of Metro Man to rubble were forgotten in his haste to get back to the lair and find out the extent of the crimewave apparently plaguing the city. Minion, loyal fish that he was, had been awoken by the squeal of tyres, a loud crash and an equally loud curse as Megamind misjudged the speed of the not-quite-stopped car and crashed headlong into a pile of pilfered scrap alongside the wall when he opened the door anyway.  
Minion had come running in, surrounded by a halo of curious Bots, to find Megamind booting up eight different screens while muttering lines of code and names of crime databases pulled from the depths of his memory.  
"Ah, Minion, you're awake. Will you help me? Your coding skills will no doubt come in handy."  
"Well- of course Sir, but help you with what?"  
Megamind threw a smirk over his shoulder, his eyes flashing.  
"Hacking into the police database, of course."

*

"...I'm in!"  
Megamind glanced over and grinned.  
"Well done, Minion. Now, can you cross reference incidents-"  
"Yes, yes, I know what I'm looking for Sir."  
An insistent beeping drew Megamind's attention back to his own screens and he wrinkled his nose at the large "Access Denied" banner flashing across them.  
"Well fine. You want to play hardball..?" he muttered, hands flying across the keyboard.  
A minute later he grunted in satisfaction as the screen filled with case records and grimaced as he began to filter them.

*

"This is interesting..."  
"Hm?" Megamind pulled his attention from the record he was perusing.  
"Well, I cross referenced that name you gave me - Allan Capp? - with the National Crime Database."  
"Yes?" Megamind stepped over a snoozing bot to share Minion's screen.  
"He's very well known, Sir. Under a variety of aliases. They call him-"  
"The Interloper" Megamind read. "I don't like the sound of that."  
"No-" Minion was running a finger down the screen, frowning. "You're really not going to like his M.O... It's... insidious. He starts by forming gangs, then pits them against each other in the equivalent of a city-wide dog fight, all while pretending to be the kingpin for just one."  
"Ew. I don't like underhandedness."  
"That's not all..."  
"What else?"  
In answer, Minion turned the screen around and Megamind's eyes flicked over the report.  
"Oh no. Not in _my_ city."  
Minion flinched back from the sudden flatness in Megamind's tone and Megamind threw him an apologetic look. "I think," he began, "we ought to pay a visit to The Interloper."  
Minion grinned hard, pressed a button on the keyboard and a loud clatter arose from the corner. "Already printing his address off, Sir."  
"They had that in the database?" Megamind was surprised.  
"No" said Minion, still grinning. "But you didn't say my search for him was limited to crime databases."

***

Megamind smirked, breathing hard, seemingly oblivious to the knife pressed against his throat.  
"I don't like bein' told what ta do by little freaks who think they own tha joint" The Interloper hissed, pressing the blade closer.  
"And I don't like cowards who will deliberately attempt to start turf wars in my city. I had hoped we could come to a civilised agreement-"  
"I don't deal with _aliens_ " the man spat.  
Megamind shrugged carefully. "Alright. I trust you'll remember that statement later."  
The Interloper grinned darkly, showing yellowed teeth. Megamind gave him an unimpressed look in return.  
"What makes ya think there'll be a later, freak?"  
"... This."  
The Interloper let out a low whine and collapsed quite neatly into a pile, dropping the blade as he did.  
Megamind sighed, straightened his collar and stepped over the still whining Interloper. "That has an interesting effect, Minion" he said conversationally, watching a Bot pick up the blade and playfully threaten one of his siblings with it.  
"I think it was probably your target area that caused most of it Sir" Minion replied as he stepped forward, winding a chain into efficient coils, his voice shaking with barely concealed mirth.  
"Oh? I should have aimed higher, I suppose."  
"Well. It did the trick. I just hope he didn't have romantic plans tonight, his date might be a bit disappointed with his- er, demotivation."  
Megamind studied the now quietly squirming Interloper with mild interest. "Considering he's going to be spending the night in a cell, perhaps that's not such a bad thing."

*

The Metro City police department were very surprised to discover a giftwrapped Allan Capp aka The Interloper aka The Kingpin aka The Spider's Web on the doorstep of their precinct that morning, complete with full, signed confession to a recent spate of gang warfare as well as an admittance to three unsolved drug smuggling cases from the next city over.  
Nobody admitted to losing a set of files on another career criminal known simply as The Blender, but there was a panic when they were found to be missing.  
  
***


	2. Two

  
"...Metro City police department is baffled, just who is the mystery force behind these arrests? What purpose do they have in getting the worst of the criminal underworld off our streets? Is Metro Man protecting us from beyond the grave? And the biggest question: will he save us from Megamind?"  
Megamind snorted with laughter as Minion roared with it, slapping his knee and spilling popcorn all over the floor.  
"They have no idea it's you, Sir!" he giggled, righting the bowl and handing it to a Brain Bot who immediately put it on as a helmet and flew off, a handful of others following in playful pursuit.  
"Us, Minion. I couldn't have found them all without you."  
Minion blinked. "Well. That's my job, Sir."  
"I have another job for you, my loyal fish."  
"Name it."  
"The city security systems."  
"What- what about them?"  
"They're practically non-existent, that's what."  
Minion frowned, thinking. "They were never really needed before, Metro Man always seemed to know when there was trouble brewing." He narrowed his eyes, swimming close to the front of his headpiece for a moment. "Of course, you were never that difficult to track" he teased and Megamind threw a light rabbit punch at his shoulder, grinning.  
"Apparently that hasn't changed. We seem to be developing a bit of a reputation among our- ah, brethren."  
"You mean the way they're a little upset that you appear to be fighting _against_ them?"  
Megamind shrugged and leaned back on the couch, curling his feet under him. "I don't know what else they were expecting."  
"I think that last one - what's her name... Arrowhead? She seemed to think you wanted to pool resources."  
Megamind snorted again, absently rubbing his jaw. "She did get rather upset when I told her we work alone. Anyway, I think upgrading the systems is a good idea. I've drawn up some plans-"

*

Megamind was halfway up a telephone pole and trying to convince a Brain Bot to hold the darned light steady when it happened.  
A high pitched scream, the thud of running footsteps, the sound of pursuit and mocking laughter made him forget about the almost unnoticeable camera he was installing and look in the direction of the noises, just in time to see a group of dark-clad figures disappear down a narrow street that he knew ended in an unscaleable wall. The fact that he could hear shrill cries for help from further down didn't exactly fill him with confidence.  
"Minion? Code, we have a problem" he said into his wristwatch, keeping his gaze fixed on the street as he slid down the pole. "Come here."  
"On my way, Sir!"  
Megamind jumped the last few feet, landing gracefully and immediately setting off at a run, drawing the Dehydration gun as he did.  
Minion reached the beginning of the street at the same time as he did, his fins twitching at the cries and his eyes wide.  
"Sir, they're-"  
"I know." Megamind allowed himself a wicked smirk. "You know what to do."  
Minion grinned back and hit 'play' on the boom box he was carrying.  
The harsh chords of "Thunder Underground" rang out, deafeningly loud, and the Brain Bots immediately lit up like fireflies.  
If fireflies had different coloured lasers, anyway.  
The figures at the end of the street froze then slowly turned as Megamind strode toward them, cloak billowing around him, eyes flashing in the low lights and a dangerous little smile playing around his mouth.  
Four of them, male, dressed in dark clothes and surrounding a young woman as she cowered against the wall, desperately trying to hold onto what looked like a purse and hold her ripped jacket together as though it would offer some kind of protection against the group.  
The Brain Bots flew forward to hover protectively over her, their eyelights glaring brightly as the men formed a loose semicircle around Megamind.  
"You better have a very _very_ good explanation for this" he said softly.  
As though his words were some kind of signal, the four men rushed at him. Two turned into glowing cubes almost straight away and Megamind simply kicked them to the side of the road.  
One, having been closer, swung a punch at his head, which Megamind ducked easily and countered with a savage uppercut as he straightened up. The man crumpled to the ground, victim to the hidden metal inside the long gloves Megamind wore. He turned just in time to catch a hefty jab to the nose from the other thug and stars exploded in front of his eyes for a moment. Instinctively, he bent low, one leg swinging out as he turned in a graceful circle, knocking the thug off his feet and onto his back with a whoof of outblown air.  
Megamind smirked and planted a foot on his chest.  
"I'm going to assume that's a no for the explanations."  
"What are- what are you doing? You're- supposed to be on _our_ side!" the man whined breathlessly and Megamind scowled.  
"I don't harm innocents, human," he growled, his voice low and colder than ice. "Though I might make an exception just this once..."  
The man's eyes widened as Megamind put pressure on the foot still attached to his chest. Megamind let a smile form on his face and a second later, was picking up another glowing cube from the ground. He tossed it with the others.  
Minion was holding the last thug against the wall, ignoring his squeals of pain from the arm twisted up his back.  
"This one had a gun" Minion said, unconcernedly. "What are we going to do with them?"  
"We'll drop them into the nearest precinct" said Megamind, dehydrating the last man as he spoke and cutting him off mid-squeal. "I think the Second-"  
"Thank- thank you..."  
Megamind and Minion spun around, twin expressions of surprise on their faces. They'd completely forgotten about the young woman.  
Minion was first to recover and stepped forward. "Oh, no worries, Ma'am. Are you hurt?"  
"No. No, I'm fine. I just-"  
Her gaze flicked from one to the other.  
"Do you have someone you can call to walk you home?" Megamind asked gently.  
"What-? Oh. Yes. No. I- My apartment is just around the corner. I'll be fine."  
She took a hesitant step forward, her eyes on the glowing cubes, then sidled past them. She stopped, then tentatively offered her hand. "Thank you. I- it could have been a lot different if you weren't here."  
Minion glanced at Megamind then briefly shook the young woman's hand. She smiled and offered it to Megamind when he let go.  
"Ah. Yes. Well." He shook it briefly too, not looking at her. "Er. Be careful, okay?"  
"I will." She stepped back, gave them both a considering look and marched off down the street, disappearing around the corner after a few moments.

***

"EXCLUSIVE! SUPERVILLAIN TO SUPERHERO?"  
Every newspaper in the city seemed to have some variation of the incredulous headline the following morning.  
Minion had staggered in with a stack of them, along with coffee and donuts, trumpeting the headlines with an air of amused bewilderment and causing Megamind to poke his head out of his workroom in surprise.  
They were now sitting at the kitchen table, newspapers covering it, most of the floor and a brain bot or two, trying to make sense of things.  
"It must have been the young woman who went to them. We left the punks in the Second Precinct. But- why?"  
"Says she wanted to ensure we got some recognition for doing a good deed" Minion replied, thoughtfully running a finger down a column of print. He stopped for a long moment, a frown on his face, and abruptly folded the newspaper.  
"What?" Megamind asked.  
"Nothing."  
"Minion, _what_?"  
"Just- someone wondering if you- if we- have some kind of ulterior motive."  
"Oh" Megamind snickered. "Like we're not used to them extemporising on that!"  
"Hmph. True."  
Megamind sipped his coffee, then put the cup and the newspapers aside - the pile was precarious and slowly collapsed onto a couple of wrestling Bots, much to their delight.  
"Now Minion, there are still a few sites that I think would do well to have cameras installed."

*


	3. Three

Megamind looked from the paper in Minion's hands back to his headpiece.  
"They want me to _what_?!" he asked, his voice an octave higher than usual.  
That was enough for Minion to lose what little control he had and double over laughing so hard he had to gasp for air.  
Megamind watched him for a few minutes, lips pursed and eyes narrowed.  
"Are you done?" he asked irritably, seeing that Minion was hiccuping back into sobriety.  
"They want you to- to-" Minion let out a great heaving snort and burst out laughing again.  
"Oh for-" Megamind sighed and snatched the waving paper to read it for himself as his loyal fish was obviously going to be no use for a while.  
After a moment, he had to admit that Minion had every reason to be currently laughing his metal ass off.  
"They can't be serious?" he muttered, rereading the letter and hoping there was a paragraph he had missed that would explain the nonsense within.  
"I- I think they are, Sir" Minion giggled. He couldn't quite wipe the grin from his face and Megamind griamced at him.  
"Why in Tesla's name are they writing to _me_ for _help_?! I'm a Supervillain! A Supervillain currently in the middle of a fascist takeover!"  
"There's nothing fascist about you" Minion replied absently, taking the paper back. "It does say they want to get the new wing built as soon as possible and you're the only one with the possible resources to manage it."  
Megamind looked incredulous. "Well I hope they're not expecting me to actually take any notice."

***

The sun had just barely risen as Eric Josephs opened the door to the tiny building site office, his mind still desperately trying to come up with a solution to the budget problems - he really didn't want to let anyone go, but really there wasn't any other way to keep costs down.  
He sighed and bit his lip, determined not to let the tears in his eyes fall. He knew what this new hospital wing would mean to the Metro City dwellers, not to mention what the construction jobs meant to most of the people he'd hired. People who were even at this early hour, cheerfully getting ready to start their workday.  
Today wasn't going to be a good one.  
This opinion was only solidified as the rising sun was suddenly blacked out by thick smoke, shot through with bright lasers and a voice screamed "EXIT, LIGHT! ENTER, NIGHT!" so loudly that he flattened himself against the door in fright.  
Everyone turned to the site gates, some in curiosity but most in absolute terror as Megamind, Minion and a small army of those metal horrors they called Brain Bots appeared in the middle of the laser show, striking a pose so carefully created to draw every eye that he would have been impressed if his heart didn't feel like it was trying to escape from his chest.  
The music faded, the smoke billowed and the figures were suddenly clear.  
Eric felt his heart about stop as Megamind's gaze met his and a wicked grin split his face. He tried to stay upright despite his shaking knees as the world's greatest Supervillain stalked toward him like a demon straight from Hell and-  
"Mr Josephs, I presume? We got your letter."

*

Eric Josephs' day had been terrifying, confusing, and deafening. The letter had been written in a fit of desperation and he had completely forgotten about it until that morning. Nobody was more suprirsed than him to find out it had actually worked.  
Megamind had a rather pleasant speaking voice, as he'd found out that morning when he stutteringly outlined what they needed for the project and Megamind had asked questions, made notes and - at one point - sent out for coffee and donuts for the entire site.  
But he must have had a concealed microphone somewhere in the studded leather outfit he wore, his voice was amplified and barking orders at anyone who caught his eye, human and Bot alike.  
And that clashing, screaming music he favoured was everywhere.  
Eric had to admit though - the progress they had made in a day was astounding. Nobody seemed willing to disobey an order given by Megamind or Minion, especially after Megamind had turned four of his most experienced workers into glowing cubes and threw them out of the site gates with a snarl.  
"I need a word" he'd growled, grasping Eric's upper arm with a surprisingly gentle hand and propelling him into the office.  
"Those men" he said, sitting on the desk with arms folded across his chest and tossing his head in the direction of the gates. "Did you hire them?"  
Something told Eric Josephs that it would be a very very bad idea to lie.  
"I- no, they, I- I was hired after they were and the project manager quit after a few days."  
"Ah. Fine. Leave."  
"Can- why?" Eric asked, curiosity momentarily overcoming the fear.  
Megamind looked up, eyes narrowing, and Eric felt his mouth go dry.  
"Because" he said softly. "I caught them knowingly ordering materials that were in no way suitable for a hospital, intending to present you with the proper invoice and pocket the difference. If you'd been part of it, you'd be joining them outside the gates to await the rain."

***

"It would have been finished days ago if you'd just let me-"  
"Now Sir. You said yourself it's better to have everything above board. We are talking about a hospital, after all."  
Megamind made a face at Minion and opened his mouth to retort, but Minion grinned wider and put a finger to his lips.  
Megamind sighed and turned back to face the podium. The mayor looked to be finally finishing up a long-winded and boring speech and Megamind made on last effort to stop himself calling the Brain Bots down to chase him off the stage.  
Honestly. The hospital wing had taken a little over a week to finiish completely, especially after Megamind and Minion had... commandeered... a convoy of supplied headed to the brand new and completely unnecessary football stadium in the centre of the city.  
He'd caught a little backlash for that. Not that he cared. The "old" Stadium was less than five years old and hospitals were - in his opinion - a much more necessary use of resources.  
Much to his surprise, most of the city appeared to agree with him.  
A hefty dig to the ribs brought him out of his thoughts and he glared at Minion who widened his eyes innocently and nodded toward the front.  
"Megamind? Would- er. Would you join us on stage?"  
Megamind blinked. What? He glanced at Minion, who shrugged and gestured him forward.  
Arranging his expression to one of practiced menace (as opposed to the sheer bewilderment he knew he was projecting right then), he stood, quickly checked that his dehydration gun was in easy reach and summoned a few bots. Just for the look of the thing.  
Cloak swirling, he made his way to the front of the crowd, smirking at anyone who caught his eye and trying not to look confused at the small, genuine smiles he received in return.  
"Megamind" the mayor said nervously as he came to a halt beside him. "Er. We- we want to er- to thank you for all your help on this- on this project. To be honest- well, we couldn't have done it wthout you and certainly not in such a short time. As- as a thank you, we- er-"  
The mayor faltered under the glare Megamind was giving him and swallowed hard. Megamind tried to soften his expression a little but his thoughts were racing and he couldn't help frowning bemusedly.  
"He's trying to say thank you," said a voice behind them, and Eric Josephs stepped forward a little. "-and that in honour of everything you've done- well-" he gestured to the fancy golden pull string attached to the little blue velvet curtains covering the dedication plaque and Megamind felt the confusion clear. Oh, they wanted him to open the wing? Well that was a first.  
He bit back a chuckle and stepped forward to curl his fingers around the cord.  
"Well then. Without further ado, let me declare the-" he had no idea what the new wing was called, darn it "-the new wing of the Metrocity Hospital officially open!"  
The crowd applauded as he tugged gently, and the curtains opened to reveal a shiny golden plaque. His eyes moved over it automatically and he felt his heart about stop in his chest.  
"The Megamind Patient Care and Education Wing."  
"The mayor was right. We couldn't have done it without you" said Eric's voice in his ear. "We thought the dedication was fitting."

***


	4. Four

  
"Remind me again why I'm doing this?" Megamind growled, scowling at his reflection in the full-length mirror.  
"Because you've worked very hard over the past month, the city is looking absolutely wonderful, the crime rate has fallen to previously unrecorded lows, according to a recent poll the citizens are almost as happy as they were when Metro Man was here and you deserve a break" replied Minion, ticking off the points on his fingers as he spoke.  
Megamind threw a wry look over the top of his glasses. "And that means I have to go to a music festival?"  
"Why not? You were invited especially, after all!" Minion grinned and popped the collar of Megamind's jacket. "Guest of honour!"  
"Guests" Megamind corrected. "You were invited too."  
Minion waved a hand. "I'm a bit socially exhausted, Sir. It's been a busy few weeks."  
"That's why I would rather-"  
"You can't let the city down! They're expecting you." Minion turned Megamind toward the car with gentle hands on his shoulders. "Now go on, or you'll be late!"  
Megamind sighed and took the car keys from Minion's outstretched fingers, his other hand automatically checking the holster at his waist.  
"I won't be late back."  
"Have fun, Sir."  
Megamind threw a smile at Minion, not missing the oddly proud expression on the loyal fish's face.

*

The music pounded through the air, the ground, the press of bodies around him. Megamind resisted the urge to draw his dehydration gun and carve some breathing space for himself - it was one thing to be in front of a crowd, it was quite another to be part of it. He felt like a cog in a loud, writhing and sweaty machine and it wasn't a sensation he was enjoying.  
He could barely see the stage through the mass of limbs that surrounded him, the music was incoherent and if it wasn't for his very good night vision, he was certain he'd have been unable to see more than a few inches in any direction.  
He fought his way to the edge of the crowd, trying not to snarl as people screeched in his ear, knocked into him or in one case, accidentally (he hoped!) grabbed his butt.  
"Minion, how long do I have to stay here?!" he yelled into the intercom in his wristwatch, but if Minion replied it was too loud to hear him.  
Bodies pressed close as a new act took the stage, yelling, screaming-  
-and then an odd hush fell over them.  
-Megamind blinked and stuck a finger into his ear, wondering if he'd finally gone deaf-  
-and then a voice, impossibly loud, impossibly familiar split the stillness-  
-Megamind's head snapped around, his eyes searching-  
-faces turned to him, muttering, but his gaze slid past the confusion in them, searching, searching-  
-finally resting on the figure in the middle of the stage as he began to sing, as the music rose to accompany that voice-  
-that impossible voice, that impossible figure-  
Megamind spun, uncaring of the people close to him, fought his way out of the crowd and found what he was looking for.  
Nobody tried to stop him as he made his way backstage.

***

The figure stumbled into the small dressing room, turning slightly sideways so he didn't knock his shoulders against the doorframe and gave one final wave to the small crowd outside before closing the door and leaning against it with a huge grin.  
The cheers outside faded slightly, as did the smile when his eyes met Megamind's.  
"Ah" he said.  
"Ah? That's all you're going to say?"  
"Uh. Hey..?"  
Megamind stalked over to the rapidly shrinking figure, the air around him practically crackling. "I know you're not a ghost. I saw you play that guitar" he said flatly.  
"...No- uh, no, not a ghost..."  
Megamind held his gaze for a long moment then crossed his arms over his chest, seeming to shrink in on himself in turn, his eyes wide and confused and _hurt_.  
"How? Michael, I saw you- I saw you die. I saw your _skeleton_! What-?"  
Metro Man drew himself up, his jaw set-  
-then his expression softened as he slumped a little and ran his hands through his hair, still holding Megamind's gaze. "Okay" he sighed. "Okay. I owe you that." He gestured to the overstuffed sofa behind them and Megamind sat, his gaze not moving from Metro Man's face.  
Metro Man sat beside him, handed him a root beer, popped one of his own open and began to speak.

*

"...When your Death Ray hit, I felt like I had been reborn. 'Metro Man' was dead. My life belonged to _me_ , I could do what I wanted, go where I wanted, I was finally free."  
Megamind could only stare at him. "Free? You- you've never been anything besides _free_! How could you even-" he leapt to his feet and began pacing, looking like a caged panther. "You left the city to be taken over by someone like me, knowing I what I would do, knowing-  
"Knowing you wouldn't harm a living soul without a very good reason" Metro Man interrupted gently. "And I was right, wasn't I?"  
"That's not the point!" Megamind spun to face Metro Man, brows drawing down over his eyes. "I'm the _bad guy_! I'm supposed to strike fear into hearts and minds, I'm supposed to be cruel and mean and nasty- I'm supposed to _fight_!"  
"What do you call the things you've been doing?" Metro Man asked, smiling a little as he leaned back on the couch. "I've been following your escapades. Do you know you have most of the Underworld too scared to even set foot in the city?"  
Megamind blinked and raised an eyebrow. "...No?"  
Metro Man threw back his head and laughed. "Well they are." He eyed Megamind almost proudly. "You know how to deal with these people in a way I never could have."  
Megamind waved a dismissive hand. "Because you were too good, too noble-"  
"Because I never learned to use anything besides brawn and force" replied Metro Man quietly. "Sure, I could incapacitate them, I could have them locked away - but there'd be another one just waiting to take their place. You know what they're going to try and you stop them before they even think of it - they know they're going to fail, so they don't bother."  
"But- the city needs you-"  
"No it doesn't." Metro Man smiled, climbed to his feet and crouched so he and Megamind were on eye level, one big hand on each of Megamind's shoulders. "Little buddy, you make a better hero than I ever did. ...Maybe it's time you let yourself see that."

***

Megamind left the venue, his mind racing though his steps were slow.  
Metro Man - Michael - _Music_ Man as he now apparently wanted to be known was alive.  
He was more relieved than he cared to admit to find that out - he'd been incredibly uncomfortable to think that he'd actually managed to genuinely hurt Metro- Music Man and it was a weight off his proverbial shoulders.  
"Spare change?" croaked a voice from around his knees and Megamind startled slightly, his hand automatically going to his hip and the Dehydration Gun.  
"What? Er- no. Sorry."  
"S'okay. Worth a shot."  
Megamind eyed the slumped form before him.  
"It's late. And cold. You should- you should get home."  
The voice sounded again in a wheezing laugh. "Home? Son, yer standing in my lounge."  
Megamind looked around, realising he'd wandered into a small, dirty passage behind a low building.  
"You live- here?"  
"Wouldn't call it much of a living" the figure sniffed. "But I get by."  
Megamind stared for a moment, then came to a decision.  
"Come with me. This building is empty, but it's warm and dry. You can stay in there for the night."  
And tomorrow, he'd figure out something better. After all, heroism wasn't just the big, showy events.  
Metro City really was his now.


End file.
